Of Young Love and Digimon (Part IV up)
by Raptor D DE
Summary: My winning entry to Nemesi-chan’s 2001 Kensuke contest. Daisuke and the Emperor discover that they are in love as Ken prepared to open a Gateway to a higher Digital plane…And the Emperor could make a terrible mistake…
1. Part I

Hello all! Raptor Darkshadow here!  
  
This is the first installment of my fic for Nemesi-chan's contest!  
  
So far, I'm proud of how it's coming. But, I would still like some opinions before I continue, you know, tell me if you think I should keep at it or scrap the whole thing and start over (again).  
  
At the moment there are only a couple of hints at a Daisuke/Ken relationship. It will get more obvious in the future, I promise!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the drill. I do not own Digimon...Digimon belongs to a lot of rich people that I envy. I am making no money off this fic, and frankly I have no money so it would be pretty pointless to sue me.  
  
This is an original fic by me, if you would like to use it or post it somewhere else, please let me know first...That's about all I can think of now...  
  
A/N There is a short flashback in this part, separated from the rest of the fic by "******"  
  
Warning-This fic is rated R for suggestive dialogue and scenes (it will not be a lemon by any stretch of the imagination, but it will be suggestive), as well as graphic violence and some language.  
  
Be warned: All flames will be used to make smores!  
  
--Of Young Love and Digimon--  
  
He walked alone through the dark and empty hallways. Passing closed doors with glyphs, symbols and hieroglyphs indecipherable to any whom didn't know the secrets of this world. He could translate them in his sleep if he wanted. But now they could not have been farther from his mind. At the moment, he didn't care about the doors around him, the hallway, the rooms, the base, nothing. Only one thing mattered now. He strode past intersections that started out dark and deepened to velvet black in the distance.  
  
He descended flight after flight of dark stairs. There was just enough ambient light for him to see where each step started and ended. Just enough light to keep the area around him visible, but not enough to make anything in the distance distinct.  
  
He didn't hear the way his footfalls echoed, soft and hollow up and down the hall, or the way his cape rustled around his legs and whispered in the gentle wind he created with his brisk stride. Didn't notice, or didn't care, that as he walked down the hall on this lower level the walls darkened gradually, as if this part of the base was older than the rest of it. He was too focused on the one thing that seemed to matter anymore.  
  
There was only one thing on his mind. One thing that occupied his every waking moment. One thing that had become all consuming as soon as he had discovered the possibilities. Dozens of possibilities. Hundreds of possibilities. Thousands of possibilities. The infinite possibilities that existed in the Megaverse.  
  
He passed through several arches of black metal, thick black metal doors opened wide so he didn't even have to pause as he walked. He did have to stop once, at a door easily twice as large as the other doors he had passed. He stopped and looked at the door. Letting his eyes wander up the metal, around the top of the arch, then back down to eye level, looking at the glyph inscriptions on the door. Glyphs that he instantly translated as he had hundreds of times before, and would hundreds more. He reached out a single hand and touched a glyph at shoulder level, running his index finger around the curve and down the bisecting line. It glowed with a dim red light, flickering for a few seconds, then dimmed and extinguished itself. The door swung in silently, allowing him to continue. The double doors swung shut behind him equally as silently. He didn't notice.  
  
The hall was brighter here, the lighting approaching what might be considered a normal level. He stopped in front of a door halfway down the corridor, and traced a new glyph at shoulder level, and waited for the door to swing open when the dim red light faded.  
  
He stepped through the door into darkness, the only light in the room coming in through the open door. He walked through the darkness until he was right in front of the only object in the room. It was circular and stood about twenty feet tall, made of shining silver and black metal. The light from the open door glinted off the metal, reflecting off the edges and casting deep shadows on itself.  
  
He ran his hand along the outer edge of the giant ring with a cold smile. This was it. This was everything. This was his ticket to absolute power. As soon as it was complete, as soon as it was working, there would be nothing in the Digital World or any other world in the Megaverse that could stand in his way. Nothing would be able to stop him. Nothing at all.  
  
"Master?"  
  
He turned to the door to see the source of the intruding voice. He glared at the speaker for a second, then turned back to looking at the ring, "What have I told you about coming here without my permission?"  
  
The speaker bowed, "I'm sorry Master, but I thought you would want to know..."  
  
"How many times have I told you not to think? I do all the thinking here."  
  
"Yes Master, but..."  
  
" `But' what?"  
  
"They're back. And they're attacking again."  
  
"All of them?"  
  
"Yes Master."  
  
"Very well. Go to the control room. I'll be there in plenty of time to repel this pathetic attempt on their part to storm my castle."  
  
"Yes Master," he turned and scurried off.  
  
He turned to watch his Digimon leave, wondering not for the first time why he kept Wormmon around.  
  
He turned back to the giant black and silver ring with a smile. As soon as it was operational, none of this would matter. Such trivial things as the Digidestined would be no more important than what he chose to have for breakfast in the morning. Everything would be under control.  
  
Ichijouji Ken, the Digimon Emperor turned with a swirl of his cape and flashed a cold grin. Everything would be under control.  
  
His control.  
  
----------  
  
He held on tightly with both hands, holding on to the sides of the Digimon under him, clenching his muscular legs around it's body to keep from being thrown off as the ground thundered by beneath him. He squinted his deep chocolate colored eyes into the sun, shading his face with one hand from the setting sun of the Digital World as the Emperor's base grew closer with each of Raidramon's thundering footfalls.  
  
He looked over his shoulder to check on the others. The golden form of Digmon was right behind him, running for all he was worth to keep up with the punishing pace Raidramon was setting. Above and to his right were Pegasusmon carrying Takashi Takeru and Hido Iori, and Halsemon with Miyako, and to above his left shoulder flew the graceful form of Nefertimon, with Kamiya Hikari sitting on her back just in front of her Digimon's white wings. And he was leading the pack, riding point on the black armored from of Raidramon.  
  
He patted Raidramon's side as he turned back to the front to watch the base grow larger with every passing moment, "Come on Raidramon! I know you can go faster than this! You want them to pass us or something?"  
  
He could almost feel Raidramon smile at the friendly jab, "You got it Daisuke!"  
  
Motimiya Daisuke tightened his grip as Raidramon poured on the speed, leaping ahead of the others. Takeru smiled to himself as he watched Daisuke running ahead. He was just like that, always wanting to be the first one into the fray to prove himself to himself and the rest of them. But then again, if they were going to beat the Digimon Emperor, they needed that sort of mindless optimism.  
  
Daisuke turned and waved at the others, a wide grin splitting his face, practically daring them to catch him. Iori yelped behind him and tightened his grip around Takeru's waist as the older Digidestined urged Pegasusmon to fly faster.  
  
Daisuke thought back to what Miyako and Koushiro had told them before they came to the Digital World today.  
  
******  
  
They had all come to Koushiro's house at the request of the former keeper of Knowledge. Miyako had arrived before any of the others, and had helped set up the presentation he wanted to share with the new Digidestined.  
  
They congregated in Koushiro's room and collected around the glowing computer screen. Koushiro settled into his usual, "I've figured everything out and I'll explain it all to you now" mode as he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. Daisuke hated it when people went into that mode.  
  
"As you can see," Koushiro started, "This is a map of the section of the Digital World where the Emperor has his base. This map was created by my monitor program a few days ago," he tapped a key and a new map appeared, "This what it looks like today."  
  
They all pressed forward to get a better look at the screen. The previous map had been the normal grid of white and black squares that they had become accustomed to. This new map was only white and black around the edges. The entire center portion of the grid was various shades of yellow, orange, and red.  
  
Takeru gasped.  
  
Iori's eyes widened until they looked like they would swallow the rest of his face.  
  
Miyako and Hikari backed away from the screen.  
  
Daisuke just stared. These were new colors. He turned to Koushiro, "Is this some kind of joke?"  
  
Koushiro shook his head, "No. No joke. What you're seeing here is a manifestation of an incredible amount of power that has suddenly appeared in that area."  
  
"What does it mean?" Takeru asked.  
  
"I do have a theory," Koushiro started.  
  
"I thought you might," Iori mumbled.  
  
"As you know it takes a fantastic amount of energy to open a gateway to the Digital World, which we call a Digiport," Koushiro stood and started pacing-he said it helped his think sometimes.  
  
Miyako sat on the table, "Yeah, so?"  
  
"We also know that the real world and the Digital World are not the only two worlds out there. They're just a miniscule portion of what Gennai calls the Megaverse, millions and millions of parallel worlds all coexisting, interrelated and interdependent, in alternate dimensions."  
  
Hikari crossed her arms, "Yeah, so?"  
  
"And taking into account the immense amounts of raw power needed to open a gateway to a single alternate dimension, and therefore a single parallel world, its only logical to assume that even greater amounts of power would be needed to open gateways to more than one alternate world. In fact, my calculations show that as we move higher up in the worlds of the Megaverse, we also travel up the power gradient."  
  
Daisuke leaned over to Iori and whispered, "What did he just say in simple Japanese?"  
  
"It means it takes more power to open those gateways that lead to higher level dimensions," Iori whispered back.  
  
Koushiro opened his mouth to continue, but before a single syllable could pass his lips, the new Digidestined all spoke in unison, "SO?"  
  
Koushiro paused, then coughed into his hand as he walked back toward the computer, "So, I think that the Emperor is going to try to open a gateway, or several gateways to other worlds in hopes of finding even greater power."  
  
Takeru motioned to the screen, "What? Isn't that enough for anything he could want?"  
  
Koushiro shook his head, "No. By my calculations, it's not even enough power to conquer a small portion of the Digital World. But, it would appear to be almost enough power to open a gateway to a higher dimension that might have more than enough power to conquer both the Digital World and this one."  
  
Daisuke looked at the serious faces around him, "That's a bad thing, right?"  
  
Iori clenched his small hands into fists, "We have to go to the Digital World immediately to stop that monster!"  
  
Miyako stepped up next to him, "I agree! Let's go!"  
  
Koushiro held out his hands, "Now just wait a minute! It's already late, you wouldn't even get to his base before dusk, and then you'd just have to turn back!"  
  
"Then we'll just have to stay the night," Takeru said, "We'll go in and we won't come back out until he can't open the gateway."  
  
"What will you tell your parents?" Koushiro demanded as they picked up their Digimon from his bed where they had watched the entire conversation with growing concern.  
  
Daisuke shrugged as Demiveemon crawled to the top of his head, "I'm sure you'll think of something!" he turned to the computer screen, holding his D-3 before the monitor at arms length, "Digiport open!"  
  
Within seconds, Koushiro was alone in his room. He flopped limply into his chair and stared at the Digiport on the screen, " `I'm sure you'll think of something'? Gee thanks guys."  
  
******  
  
And that was how they had come to be storming the Emperor's base just before nightfall.  
  
Daisuke smiled as the silhouette before him blotted out the sun of the Digital World. He scanned the area around him as he rode his Digimon farther into the shadow cast by the base. So far they hadn't seen a single Dark Ringed Digimon around. Nothing was standing in their way. It was almost too easy.  
  
The ground before them erupted. Raidramon skid to a stop in a cloud of dust, leaping back as the ground humped up, then split as fissures spread across the parched ground. Daisuke screamed and tightened his grip on Raidramon's back as the black-armored Digimon jumped back from the fissures.  
  
"Drimogemon!" He called out as the lavender and white Digimon poured forth from the cracks, creating a line between the Digidestined and the base.  
  
Raidramon set his feet, claws digging into the ground beneath him for purchase as pure blue energy jumped and arced between the three lightning bolt-like spikes on his shoulders, "Blue Thunder!" Balls and lines of blue lightning leapt forth, halting the advance of the mole-like horde and shattering a few Dark Rings. Those that were free shook their heads, took one look at the situation, then ran for the hills.  
  
"We could use some help here!" Daisuke yelled over his shoulder.  
  
"Right behind you!" Takeru called back.  
  
"Star Shower!"  
  
"Rosetta Stone!"  
  
Pegasusmon and Nefertimon swooped into the fray, blasting their own attacks into the slave Digimon. Dozens were freed, and the way to the base was cleared.  
  
"Gold Rush!"  
  
"We got `em on the run!" Miyako yelled from Halsemon's back.  
  
"Look out!" Hikari screamed, pointing into the sky.  
  
Iori gasped and pointed into the sky. Takeru followed his finger and ground his teeth as he saw the second wave.  
  
Dozens upon dozens of Snimon and Airdramon dove out of the sun, routing the attack away from the base.  
  
Daisuke grabbed the lighting bolt spikes before him to keep from being thrown as the first of the Twin Sickles and Spinning Needle attacks impacted the ground around him.  
  
"Retreat!" He yelled to the others, "Let's get out of here! Now!"  
  
Raidramon grunted as a blade of energy glanced off his flank, dinging the armor and throwing him off balance, "Right! Hold on tight!"  
  
The Digidestined collected in the forest a few miles from the base, hiding under a snag of trees to avoid detection by the flights of Airdramon and other flying Digimon slaves that occasionally flew over.  
  
Daisuke and Veemon crept out after a group passed, running swiftly but quietly to the edge of the forest where he could see the outline of the base against the stars, and the glaring light from the windows.  
  
He leaned one hand against a tree and sighed as he imagined he saw a form move in the base's control room, "Ken...why? What are you doing in there, and why? Why won't you let us in? Why won't you let me in?"  
  
"Um...Daisuke?" the dragon Digimon rubbed the back of his head nervously.  
  
"Yeah Veemon?"  
  
"Can I borrow your D-Terminal for a few minutes?"  
  
Daisuke pulled the device in question out of the pocket of his flame-emblazoned jacket and dropped it into Veemon's waiting hands. The Digimon ran off a little way and sat with his back against a tree giggling all the way.  
  
Daisuke smiled as he watched his smiling Digimon tap at the keys slowly, eyes shining brightly as he looked at whatever it was he was typing. After about ten minutes, he hit the send key proudly, watched the send bar scale to 100%, then giggled and held the D-Terminal to him chest.  
  
"Who'd you mail?" Daisuke asked with a smile.  
  
The smile slipped for a second, then returned as if it had been there the whole time, "Just mailing Koushiro-san about how we're doing!" half true-that had been one of the messages.  
  
Daisuke's smile widened as he shook his head with a chuckle. Veemon had asked him to teach him how to use the D-Terminal a few weeks ago, and he had. It had taken a few days for the eager dragon to learn everything, but when it had he had been the proudest Digimon alive, showing off to the others and remaining inanely giddy for the next several days. It took so little to make him happy.  
  
Veemon looked down at the D-Terminal as it beeped against his chest and flipped it open. He held it up and waved the screen at his partner, "You've got mail from Hikari!"  
  
Daisuke jumped up and ran for the Digimon, snatching the D-Terminal, "Really? Hikari sent me mail? Personally? To me?" he crowed and danced about a bit before dropping to the forest floor to read the message on the small glowing screen.  
  
Veemon smiled to himself and slowly shook his head, gentle concern shining in his reddish-brown eyes. When was Daisuke going to realize someone else held his heart?  
  
----------  
  
The Emperor sat in his control center and ran his eyes over the monitors. No sign of the Digidestined. Nothing. Nowhere. He sat back and rested his chin on one hand, trying to think of where they could be hiding.  
  
He closed his eyes, concentrating.  
  
If he were the Digidestined, where would he go?  
  
If he were Daisuke?  
  
An image of Daisuke's face appeared before his closed eyes. His violet eyes snapped open. What was he thinking? Why was he always thinking of Daisuke, even when he wasn't around? Even when he wasn't interfering? Even when there were ten thousand things more important that demanded his attention?  
  
He stood with a snarl, and deactivated the monitors with a fierce wave of one gloved hand. He stood alone in the dark, panting and trying to banish Daisuke's smiling face from his mind. There was only one thing that he could do now. One thing to exorcise the demons that seemed to haunt him. Only one way to stop the Digidestined.  
  
Wormmon sat in a room not far from the control center and went through the screens, tapping a glyph with a single claw. He looked at another screen as a red light began blinking insistently.  
  
He hopped off the chair and scrambled over to the light, activating the screen with a touch. He gasped as the message appeared on the screen.  
  
"Veemon!"  
  
He read the message quickly. It was a message asking for a meeting in the forest nearby the next day. It gave a time and location, and ended with the words, "Please come alone Worm-chan. It's important! --Veemon"  
  
Wormmon smiled as a novel warmth spread in his heart. Veemon had sent him a private message asking for a private meeting in the middle of the night. It said he trusted him. And it said other things as well.  
  
He hit the button that deleted the message as the door hissed open, allowing the Digimon Emperor entrance. He turned and bowed as he had been taught, "What's wrong Master? Is there something I can do?"  
  
"Yes Wormmon, I want you to contact all my forces above Rookie in a three hundred kilometer radius. I want them here and ready for combat in three days."  
  
"Why so many Master?" Wormmon asked, hoping the answer wasn't what he was thinking.  
  
"It's time to eliminate the Digidestined once and for all. In three days, I want them all dead. Starting with Daisuke!" He turned on his heel and left Wormmon to follow his orders.  
  
Wormmon shook his head sadly, this wasn't what Ken really wanted.  
  
When would he realize that he had the right person, but the wrong reason?  
  
-TBC- 


	2. Part II

Hello all! Raptor Darkshadow here!  
  
This is the second installment of my fic for Nemesi-chan's contest! Well...*rereads installment before posting* Um...well now. I don't know where half this stuff came from. I blame my Muses for the whole thing. I don't know where, but somewhere along the line if got incredibly fluffy...for all involved. To be totally honest, I have no idea where this is headed...  
  
Just give me some feed back, 'k?  
  
Disclaimer: You know the drill. I do not own Digimon...Digimon belongs to a lot of rich people that I envy. I am making no money off this fic, and frankly I have no money so it would be pretty pointless to sue me.  
  
This is an original fic by me, if you would like to use it or post it somewhere else, please let me know first...That's about all I can think of now...  
  
Warning-This fic is rated R for suggestive dialogue and scenes (it will not be a lemon by any stretch of the imagination, but it will be suggestive), as well as graphic violence and some language.  
  
Warning II-This fic contains an unparalleled amout of fluff between Dai and Ken, as well as Veemon and Wormmon. If One Digimon loving another makes you queasy, then you might not want to read this.  
  
Be warned: All flames will be used to make smores!  
  
--Of Young Love and Digimon--  
  
-Part II-  
  
The next morning, they had a small meal from the bag that Miyako always brought along, supplemented with some fruits that the Digimon found and said were totally safe. They ate only a little, rationing as well as they could, as they didn't know how long they would be staying.  
  
And after yesterday's disastrous attempt, it looked like they might be in the Digital World for a while. They sat in a circle and discussed several plans, rejecting several before they decided to get a closer look at the base before continued planning. They crept to the edge of the forest and looked out at the area around the base.  
  
They fell back into the forest.  
  
"All right," Takeru started, "I don't see a whole lot of Digimon around the base. If we can make it to the other side of this rise and up the next without being seen, we might be close enough to get into the door halfway up the side there."  
  
"And what if we're seen before we get there?" Miyako asked.  
  
"We'll figure that out if it happens," Takeru responded, picking up Patamon, "Lets go."  
  
They came over the rise and sprinted down into the shallow valley between the two rises, stopping at the lowest point and waiting for a few minutes to see it they had been detected. When nothing happened after five minutes, they moved up the second rise and stopped at the top only long enough to see if the few Digimon that had been milling around had moved and to let their Digimon Armor Digivolve. Then they made another run for the base.  
  
They made it to the base, then in through an open door, meeting only token resistance on the outside, and none inside. They split up inside to cover more ground, Daisuke and Takeru and their respective Digimon going one way, and the rest going the other.  
  
----------  
  
Raidramon and Pegasusmon walked for what seemed like hours with Daisuke and Takeru on their backs. Takeru was beginning to feel like they were walking in circles, as if the Emperor had known that they would get in when he built the base, and built this corridor for the expressed purpose of annoying the Digidestined. Then Raidramon stopped suddenly and sniffed the air, then moved down a side corridor.  
  
"We should stick to the main corridor," Takeru called after them.  
  
"But Ken is this way," Raidramon responded, motioning with his head for Pegasusmon to follow. They followed Raidramon's nose deep into the base, finally entering a dark room.  
  
As they entered, bright light flared around them, blinding them for several seconds. When they could see again, they looked around the large room.  
  
The first thing they saw was the Emperor, standing with his hands on his hips, a cold smile on his face, Wormmon peeking out from behind his legs. Behind him was a giant ring of shining silver and black metal on a raised platform with a ramp leading up to the open center. But what really held their attention were the Digimon in the room behind the ring.  
  
Darktyrannomon. Six of them.  
  
"That's it," Takeru mumbled, staring at the ring, "That's the gateway!"  
  
They hadn't been expecting this. They thought that all of the Digimon that protected his base were on the outside. He wished he had his camera, the looks on their faces was better than priceless! He looked into their eyes, savoring the fear and uncertainty that he saw there. Then he looked at Daisuke's face, seeing the deep chocolate orbs wide with shock.  
  
Then Daisuke looked back at him. The Emperor froze. Daisuke was looking at him. He lost himself in the deep brown pools, feeling a strange warmth spread through his body. He didn't know what was happening, couldn't put a name to it, couldn't identify the feeling. Daisuke couldn't move. Couldn't think. He wondered what was happening to him. He knew he should get out of there. He knew they should both get out of there. But for some reason, as long as the Emperor was looking at him, he didn't want to leave.  
  
Wormmon looked up at Ken, wondering why he was waiting. Wondering if he was going to figure it out. Raidramon looked back at Daisuke, wondering the same thing.  
  
Ken shoved these strange emotions out of his mind and returned to the business at hand.  
  
The Emperor raised his hand before the Darktyrannomon, then closed his fist. The Darktyrannomon charged at the Digidestined.  
  
----------  
  
Veemon waited until the others were asleep before sneaking away from the group, out of the snag that they had returned to hide, and made his way to the small clearing in the forest that he had asked Wormmon to meet him in.  
  
He got there early so he could look around some before Wormmon arrived. He checked the perimeter once over, then moved into the clearing and sat on an old moss covered log to wait. He watched the stars through the break in the canopy overhead, then moved and looked at the ground. When the moon of the Digital World was right above the clearing, he sighed. It was past the time he had set. Wormmon wasn't coming. Probably thought it was a trap or something. He got up off the log and started to walk away when he heard a rustle in the underbrush behind him that made him freeze. He turned slowly, suddenly aware of how vulnerable he was, standing alone in the middle of a clearing not ten miles from the Emperor's base, the moon directly overhead lighting him up like a Christmas tree, without even the ability to Armor Digivolve.  
  
When he looked over his shoulder, instead of the army of slave Digimon that he had been expecting, he saw only Wormmon. He sighed and placed his hand on his chest as he turned to look at the other Digimon, "You scared me!"  
  
Wormmon rubbed his forelimbs together, "Sorry, I was stuck back home…The Emperor was planning something and he wanted me there for a change. I was just only able to slip out now that he's asleep," he looked down at the ground, "I'm glad you all got away safely."  
  
Veemon spread his arms, "It's not your fault Ken had so many slave Digimon waiting for us. You couldn't have known."  
  
"Was anyone hurt?"  
  
Veemon shrugged, "Only Digmon. Armadillomon'll be limping for a few days, but he's still able to fight. That is, if Iori lets him get up."  
  
They sat down together on the log and Veemon looked at the ground, "So what's he planning?"  
  
Wormmon sighed, "He's going to kill all of you in two days, starting with Daisuke."  
  
Veemon gasped, "But…but they love each other! Did you see the way they were looking at each other today?!?"  
  
Wormmon shook his head, "They may love each other, but they don't know it yet."  
  
Veemon clenched his fists, "Then we just have to make then realize it before they do anything that they'll regret in the future!"  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"We set them up! I see it on the TV all the time! We'll lead them here tomorrow morning so they can meet face to face without anyone else around, and they'll realize that they love each other!"  
  
"Then Ken won't have to kill anyone!" Wormmon caught on.  
  
Veemon nodded, "And he won't need to conquer the Digital World anymore because he'll have a really good friend that he can share everything with!"  
  
Wormmon thought for a moment, "How will we get then here without them becoming suspicious?"  
  
Veemon's brow furrowed in thought, and he rested his cheeks on his fists and his elbows on his knees as he thought. Wormmon closed his eyes and rested his head on his fore claws, unconsciously imitating Veemon. Veemon suddenly brightened, "I got it!" He turned to Wormmon, excitement dancing in his eyes, "You'll tell Ken that you've found the perfect place for a new Control Spire, all he has to do is come out and look at the area to approve!"  
  
"And Daisuke?"  
  
Veemon leaned back proudly, proud that he had thought of everything, and proud that Wormmon was looking to him to solve the problem, "I'll tell him I found a really cool bug I want to show to him, and he'll come running!"  
  
Wormmon's face colored, "Why thank you Veemon."  
  
Veemon thought about what he had said and colored as well, "You're welcome, but I hadn't thought…what I mean is…I didn't mean…"  
  
"I know Veemon."  
  
"Good, because I'm tired and I should be getting back before someone wakes up and wonders where I am!"  
  
"And I should get back to the base." Wormmon thought for a second, then decided that as long as he had come this far he might as well continue, "Veemon, there's something else I wanted to talk about," he said before Veemon could move.  
  
Veemon turned a puzzled look to the other Digimon, "What is it?"  
  
"You called me `-chan' in your mail," Wormmon stated, lightly resting one claw on Veemon's hand.  
  
Veemon blushed and rubbed the back of his head with the hand not being held down by Wormmon's claw, "I…I did? It um…I must have slipped…" he opened and closed his fist, "I slip sometimes…big clumsy fingers…"  
  
Wormmon released the hand he was holding, and took the other hand in his claws, "I don't think these hands are clumsy," he closed his eyes and rested his head in the palm of the blue hand, "I think they're perfect."  
  
Veemon felt his face getting hot, and knew that it must be obvious that he was blushing in the bright moonlight. He wanted to move away, to get away from Wormmon, but at the same time he wanted to wrap his arms around him and hold him until morning, to Digital Hell with the others. But for some reason he couldn't move. He didn't want to move, lest he somehow ruin the moment.  
  
But all good things must end.  
  
He gently pulled his hand away from Wormmon and told him that he had to go, then stood and started walking toward the side of the clearing that would take him back to the snag where the rest of the Digidestined were sleeping. He heard Wormmon come up behind him quickly, and before he could do anything, he felt Wormmon plant a quick kiss on his cheek. He blushed and placed a hand on his cheek, "What was that for?"  
  
"I thought that's what you wanted," Wormmon stated, "It isn't?"  
  
"Well," Veemon looked at the ground, "It is, but I didn't want to say anything."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"I didn't know if it was what you wanted," Veemon looked up hopefully, "Is it?"  
  
Wormmon smiled, "Of course Vee-kun, that's why I'm here."  
  
Veemon stepped forward and rubbed one hand on Wormmon's cheek with a smile, watching a slight blush creep across the insectoid Digimon's face. He turned his head and leaned forward with his eyes closed, pressing his lips lightly against Wormmon's mandibles. Wormmon closed his eyes and moaned as Veemon wrapped both arms around him, and he wrapped his forelegs as far as they would go around the other Digimon.  
  
They separated and just looked at each other smiling for a minute, then turned and walked away, looking back over their shoulders only once to wave to the other. As soon as Wormmon was out of sight, Veemon collapsed behind a tree with his back against the smooth bark, with a wide smile and hugged himself tightly, giggling softly, "Worm-chan likes me!"  
  
Wormmon looks back through the woods at the spot where he last saw Veemon and sighs, "Vee-kun likes me, I just know it!"  
  
----------  
  
The next morning, Wormmon took a deep breath before he entered the control room to set Vee-kun's plan into effect. All he had to do was convince him that he had the perfect place for a control spire. That's all. Nothing to it. He had every confidence in Vee-kun's ability to get Daisuke to come, he had that effect on people, and Digimon.  
  
----------  
  
Takeru and Hikari looked at Armadillomon's hind leg, examining the bandage and the spreading bruise. Armadillomon squeezed his eyes shut and rested his head in Iori's lap as they changed the bandage, trying not to show how much it hurt.  
  
When the fresh bandage was in place, Armadillomon smiled and looked up at his partner, "See? All better now Iori. Now we can help the others!"  
  
"No," Iori shook his head, "You aren't going anywhere until that leg heals!"  
  
"But!"  
  
"No buts Armadillomon! You can't fight in this condition!"  
  
"Iori's right," Hawkmon stated, "You won't be able to do anything if you go out and make it worse."  
  
"The rest of us will stay here with you!" Daisuke said from the entrance under the snag of trees they were using as a hideout, "We all have to go together if we plan to take down the Emperor," he said in response to the odd looks he was getting, "So if one of us stays, we all stay!"  
  
"We can't give up!" Miyako shouted, waving her arms animatedly, "We can't let up! We should keep attacking until we win!"  
  
Hikari put a hand on Miyako's arm, "We aren't giving up," she said quietly, "We're just taking a short break. Besides, more than half of our Digimon aren't ready."  
  
"But Hawkmon and Veemon are ready to fight!" Miyako pointed to her Digimon for emphasis.  
  
Hikari responded by pointing to the rest of the Digimon, "And Armadillomon's hurt, and Patamon and Gatomon are still tired from yesterday's battle."  
  
Miyako sighed, "You're right," she looked around, "Speaking of which, where's Veemon?"  
  
Daisuke pointed into the woods outside, "He said he was going for a walk."  
  
He was about to continue when Veemon burst out of the bushes, running full tilt with a smile splitting his face from one crooked blue ear to the other, "Daisuke! Come on! You have to see this!"  
  
Daisuke waved the others back as they started forward. No danger here, just an excited Veemon, "What is it Veemon?"  
  
Veemon rested his hands on his knees and panted for a minute, then looked up again, "I found something I want to show you! A really cool bug!"  
  
Daisuke jumped out of the snag without seeming to touch the ground, "All right! Lead on!"  
  
----------  
  
Daisuke didn't know how long he was following the swiftly running and jumping blue back of his Digimon partner, but it was beginning to seem like a long time.  
  
When they finally came out of the forest into a small clearing, Daisuke almost tripped over himself trying to slow down before he ran right into the Digimon Emperor.  
  
"I don't see why I had to come out here Wormmon, it's obvious that this is a perfect location-just about anywhere is, so why…" the Emperor stopped talking as Daisuke blundered into the clearing a step behind his infernal Digimon.  
  
They stared at each other for a second, not knowing what to say or what to do. Daisuke felt the oddest feeling of rightness when he saw the Emperor. They both seemed to realize that they were supposed to be enemies and spoke in unison, "What are you doing here?"  
  
The Emperor bristled. No slaves nearby, no loyal Digimon-save Wormmon- anywhere within the sound of his voice, and Wormmon would be no help at all if things turned ugly. No way he would be getting any help.  
  
"If you must know, I was thinking of building a Control Spire here. And you?"  
  
Daisuke crossed his arms, "Veemon wanted to show me something."  
  
They looked at each other for a second, then both turned to look at their Digimon.  
  
"Veemon…?"  
  
"Wormmon…?"  
  
Veemon rubbed the back of his head with one hand and smiled innocently, "Well, you see, it's like this…"  
  
"Go on," Daisuke prompted.  
  
Wormmon stepped forward, "Veemon and I met here last night, and, um…"  
  
"I'm dying to hear this," the Emperor's voice dripped sarcasm as he raised one eyebrow.  
  
"We thought that if we got the two of you together, you could find a peaceful solution!" Veemon stated simply, full of confidence.  
  
The Emperor stared at him for a second, then started to laugh. When he had a semblance of control again, he looked at Veemon over his visor and smiled, "How sweet. Did you think of this yourself?"  
  
Veemon seemed to lose a little of his certainty, "Um, yes…"  
  
The Emperor chuckled, "That explains it then!"  
  
"Explains what?" Daisuke asked huffily.  
  
"Why it's the stupidest idea I've ever heard," the Emperor stated without turning.  
  
Daisuke balled his fists, "Hey! Are you saying that Veemon is stupid?"  
  
"I thought that much was obvious," The Emperor shrugged.  
  
"Well at least he's not an insect!" Daisuke balled his hands into fists.  
  
Usually the Emperor wouldn't have noticed such a poor insult, but since Wormmon had dragged him out here alone with a false reason and a hidden agenda, he was feeling rather sensitive, "At least Wormmon does what he's told!"  
  
"Did you tell him to bring you out here to meet me? Huh? Did you Kenny Boy?"  
  
The Emperor snarled and clenched his fists. So help him, if this twit said one more thing, he was going to teach him a lesson!  
  
"Don't…" Veemon started.  
  
"You shouldn't…" Wormmon started.  
  
"BE QUIET!" the two humans turned as one, yelled, then turned back to face the other.  
  
Wormmon tried again, "But you shouldn't…"  
  
"Does what you tell him to?" Daisuke asked sarcastically.  
  
The Emperor tackled him and carried him to the ground. Daisuke grunted as he hit the ground hard and bounced, landing with the Emperor's weight on his stomach. The Emperor started punching him, right, left, right, left, again and again as Daisuke struggled under him. The emperor smiled, he was enjoying this more than hew thought he would!  
  
After one punch, Daisuke felt his teeth cut into the inside of his mouth. It wasn't a very large or deep cut, but the coppery taste of blood filled his mouth anyway. He snarled and threw the Emperor off, coming to his feet and moving in swinging. He connected solidly with the Emperor's face, knocking him back with the sound like punching a side of beef. He followed this with a punch to the gut, which made the Emperor cry out and clutch his arms over his stomach. They stumbled away from each other, Daisuke's head was ringing and it felt like half his face was broken, and the Emperor was having trouble catching his breath. They both turned back the ways they had come, deciding that this could be continued later, when they had reinforcements.  
  
Veemon grabbed the hem of Daisuke's flame emblazoned jacket as he walked past and started pulling him back, "Wait Daisuke! You can't leave now!"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because you can't!"  
  
Wormmon latched onto one of the Emperor's legs and held him in place as best he could, "Don't go Master!"  
  
"Release me at once you insect!"  
  
Daisuke spun some, and Veemon lost his grip on the jacket, falling flat on his tail as Daisuke overbalanced and fell forward. Trying to get Wormmon off his leg, the Emperor stumbled and tripped on his own feet, falling forward into Daisuke's arms. They landed in a tangled heap, Daisuke laying on top of the Emperor, looking into his eyes.  
  
As he looked into the violet eyes of the Emperor, he feels a need welling up in his chest that he can't suppress and can't-or won't-control. He leaned forward, closing his eyes, and presses his lips lightly on the Emperor's. It was soft, tentative, as all first kisses are, but it was a start. When he released the Emperor's mouth, he opened his eyes half way and looked down. The Emperor stared up into twin pools of molten chocolate, seeing the small half smile that graced the lips of the boy on top of him. He licked his lips, tasting Daisuke's lips still on his, tasting the blood left on the corner of his mouth from the cut in Daisuke's mouth.  
  
He snarls and uses the leverage he has to throw Daisuke off and roll on top of him. He took twin fistfuls of the front of Daisuke's jacket and pulled his face up to meet his. He pressed his lips against Daisuke's, harder and harder as Daisuke's arms wrapped themselves around the Emperor's waist, pulling their bodies closer. Daisuke moaned with obvious pleasure as the Emperor kissed him with obvious need, his tongue slipping forcefully in to explore Daisuke's mouth. The Emperor's tongue ran swiftly along his teeth and gums, wrapping around his tongue and touching the cut in his mouth, sending a thrill of delightful pain through his cheek. The Emperor broke the kiss, gasping and moaning as Daisuke moved his hands from his caped shoulders down his sides, over his narrow hips, lovingly caressing his thighs, then moved to more sensitive areas.  
  
The Emperor pulled him up into a sitting position and roughly pushed his jacket so it was around his elbows, breathing in Daisuke's distinctive smell. His shampoo, his soap, and the healthy smell of sweat that built up over the past few days in the Digital World, as well as the fresh sweat from their fight. He began nibbling on Daisuke's ears, neck, and shoulders, smiling as he heard Daisuke moan and clutch his sides.  
  
They stopped for a while, lying next to each other on the grass. Daisuke slowly moved his hand so it covered the Emperor's squeezing it gently and smiling at the Emperor's wide-eyed look.  
  
They looked over at their Digimon after a while of just laying together in silence, and see Wormmon sitting in Veemon's lap, the blue dragon's arms wrapped possessively around the other's waist, lightly nibbling one of his antennae as he had seen the Emperor doing, making Wormmon shiver and sigh. The two humans looked at their Digimon, smiling as they shrugged, then looked at each other again.  
  
"Don't mind us," Wormmon stated.  
  
"Please continue," Veemon smiled, "Way to go Daisuke!"  
  
The Emperor removed his whip from it's place on his hip, running one of the coils along Daisuke's cheek with a cunning smile, "If only I could take you back to my base with me," he muttered, "The things I could show you."  
  
Daisuke blushed, "Well, I think I could let myself be captured for a few hours…or days."  
  
The Emperor smiled, "Let yourself be captured? That's no fun. What about the chase? The hunt?"  
  
Daisuke's smile widened, "All right then! Give me a running start?"  
  
"And be fair?"  
  
"Right. When do we start?"  
  
"Better start running Daisuke!"  
  
Daisuke made a rather amusing "Eep" sound as he jumped to his feet followed seconds later by the Emperor, calling for Veemon to stop kissing Wormmon and run. Wormmon on the other hand tackled Veemon as soon as he tried to get up and held him down, peppering the dragon's face with kisses until he just sighed and lay there in contentment, a goofy grin on his face.  
  
Daisuke dodged around trees and jumped over logs, trying to get away, but not really hard. He yelped as the Emperor grabbed one of his hands and swung him around into his arms, "Caught you!" he whispered, wrapping one arm around Daisuke's waist, "And as my prize…"  
  
Daisuke "yeeked" and squirmed in his love's arms, "Don't touch me there!"  
  
----------  
  
Takeru rested one hand against the `door' of the snag, looking for any sign of Daisuke or Veemon. So far, nothing. He looked at his watch for what must have been the umpteenth time in the past…six hours.  
  
He looked down as Iori came up beside him, "Any sign of them?"  
  
Takeru shook his head, "Nothing."  
  
"What should we do?" Patamon asked.  
  
"We go out and look for them!" Miyako jumped to her feet, "They could be in trouble!"  
  
----------  
  
He ran his fingers through his love's spiky blue-black hair, feeling the silky strands slip and slide through his fingers as he hungrily kissed Ken's lips, face, and neck.  
  
----------  
  
"We'll split up so we can cover more ground," Takeru said, "Hopefully we can find him before the Emperor does."  
  
----------  
  
He nibbled on his love's neck, listening to him pant as he slipped his hands into Daisuke's shorts, cupping his butt in one hand, pulling them closer together as he shoved down the oversized olive shorts with his other hand.  
  
----------  
  
"Let's go," Hikari started out, Gatomon at her side. They all left the snag, splitting up as they entered the forest, leaving Iori and Armadillomon so the Digimon could heal.  
  
"We'll keep in touch through e-mails," Takeru explained before they split, "If you find anything, tell the rest of us. Tell us if you find anything, no matter how unimportant it may seem."  
  
----------  
  
Daisuke bounced once when the Emperor threw him onto his bed, turning to watch as the Emperor let his cape and gloves fall to the floor, licking his lips as Ken opened the collar of his jumpsuit and slowly pulled the zipper down…  
  
----------  
  
Iori flipped open his D-Terminal as it beeped, staring at the screen tiredly. It looked like he had mail from Koushiro. He looked at his watch, the others had been gone for over an hour and a half. And still no word about Daisuke or Veemon.  
  
He opened the message as Armadillomon opened his eyes and yawned, awakened by the beeping, "What's up Iori?"  
  
"Koushiro says our parents are starting to worry about us."  
  
"And?"  
  
"And," he paused, "And the power level in the base has doubled in the last twenty-four hours. If we're going to do anything, we have to do it soon."  
  
-TBC- 


	3. Part III

This is my second installment of my fic for Nemesi-chan's contest!  
  
Well...*rereads installment before posting* Um...well now. I don't know where half this stuff came from. I blame my Muses for the whole thing. I don't know where, but somewhere along the line if got incredibly fluffy...and it's getting fluffier by the minute…for all involved.  
  
  
  
To be totally honest, I have no idea where this is headed...  
  
Just give me some feed back, 'k?  
  
Disclaimer: You know the drill. I do not own Digimon...Digimon belong to a lot of rich people that I envy. I am making no money off this fic, and frankly I have no money so it would be pretty pointless to sue me.  
  
This is an original fic by me, if you would like to use it or post it somewhere else, please let me know first.... That's about all I can think of now...  
  
Rating-R  
  
Warning-This fic contains an unparalleled amount of fluff between Dai and Ken, as well as Veemon and Wormmon. If One Digimon loving another makes you queasy, then you might not want to read this.  
  
Be warned: All flames will be used to make smores!  
  
--Of Young Love and Digimon--  
  
-Part III-  
  
It was early morning, several hours after the Digidestined had split up to look for their missing leader.  
  
Gatomon moved around the clearing slowly, looking at the signs. Footprints. Disturbed ground. Crushed grass. Broken twigs and branches. All the signs of a struggle. But that struggle could have been between two Digimon. What really separated the struggle in this clearing from any struggle between two Digimon was the smell. It was so obvious to Gatomon that she was surprised that Hikari couldn't smell it until she reminded herself that most human senses weren't as sharp as most Digimons'. What really separated this struggle from any other in the Digital world was the smell. The clearing practically reeked of human.  
  
One she was familiar with, and one that she was unfamiliar with, but knew nonetheless. Hikari looked around the clearing and ran a hand through her light brown hair, "What happened here Gatomon?" she whispered.  
  
Gatomon sighed as she stood from where she was crouching and examining some crushed grass, "Daisuke and Veemon were here, as were the Emperor and a Digimon that I think must have been Wormmon."  
  
She pointed to a two openings in the foliage around the clearing, "Daisuke and Veemon came from that direction, the Emperor and Wormmon came from that direction," she pointed to the disturbed ground, where the grass had been uprooted and rich black-brown soil showed through, "Daisuke and the Emperor fought from here," she moved her arm in an arc across the clearing, "To here, but for some reason it doesn't look like Veemon and Wormmon did anything other than sit on that log."  
  
She moved over to the large area where the grass had been crushed, "When they fought, they rolled around right here, probably trying to get away from each other," she pointed back the way the Emperor had entered the clearing, "Then they all went that way together."  
  
"Something's bothering you," Hikari observed.  
  
"It doesn't make any sense!" Gatomon's brow wrinkled as she walked over to the Emperor's entrance.  
  
"What doesn't make sense?"  
  
"The way Daisuke and Veemon left!"  
  
"Weren't they carried off by the Digimon Emperor's slaves?"  
  
"No, the only Digimon here were Veemon and Wormmon," she turned and looked at Hikari over her shoulder, "And they weren't carried."  
  
"What?"  
  
Gatomon crouched next to the path and pointed to the footprints there, "The pattern on these boots is unfamiliar, therefore they belong to the Emperor," she moved to the next set, "these tracks belong to Wormmon," she moved to the next, "I recognize these boot prints-they're Daisuke's," she moved to the last, "And these tracks are Veemon's." She stood and shook her head, "For some reason, after the fight, both Daisuke and Veemon walked out of this clearing under their own power-with or after the Emperor."  
  
"You mean they wanted to go?" Hikari gasped, her head spinning at the implications.  
  
Gatomon shook her head and closed her eyes, "I don't know. It just doesn't make sense!"  
  
Hikari opened her D-Terminal with hands that shook almost too much to hold the device, looking at the reflection of her pale face in the blank screen before she started typing the message she would send to the others.  
  
----------  
  
Daisuke came out of sleep slowly, wondering were he was for a second before remembering what had happened when he had met the Emperor last night. And that led him to start thinking about what he and his Ken-chan had done last night after they had returned to the base.  
  
He felt himself smile in his sleep. He felt warm. Warm and safe. As he woke up more and more he slowly became aware of his environment. There was an arm wrapped around him, holding him close to a warm body, which he in turn had his arms wrapped around. There was a soft, warm blanket covering him to about the middle of his chest. The mattress that he was lying on was soft and wonderfully comfortable as it shaped to hold him, molding to his body. He came to realize he was naked, and wondered for a moment where his pajamas, or failing that, his boxers were, then remembered that he hadn't brought any pajamas, thinking that they would have no trouble foiling the newest of the Emperor's plans to conquer the Digital World and return before bedtime, then thought that his boxers were probably lying somewhere on the floor where they had landed during last night's activities.  
  
He felt someone running their fingers gently through his hair, and made a soft sound in his half-asleep half-awake limbo. He heard someone whispering softly to him, almost as if they were afraid of what they were saying, as if they didn't want anyone to know but had to say it.  
  
"Aishiteru Daisuke. I love you…"  
  
He slowly opened his eyes, "I heard that Ken-chan."  
  
Ken barely paused as he ran his fingers through Daisuke's short red hair, now cast a deep burgundy by the dim, flickering light of the dozen or so candles he and Daisuke had lit before going to bed. His fingers barely paused before continuing through the soft silky strands, "And what do you say to it?"  
  
Daisuke snuggled against Ken's chest, wrapping his arms tighter around his love's body, "Aishiteru Ken-chan, I love you too."  
  
"I was beginning to wonder if you were going to sleep all day," Ken whispered.  
  
"I usually do," Dai mumbled, half to himself.  
  
He sat up suddenly, almost throwing the covers off his own (and he noticed Ken's as well) naked body, "Where's Veemon?"  
  
Ken propped himself up on one elbow almost lazily, looking at Daisuke through his blue-black bangs, "Don't worry Dai-chan, he's with Wormmon."  
  
Daisuke looked back at Ken, pulling the covers up some with a slight blush, "What?"  
  
"He's sharing Wormmon's room. It seems they had an ulterior motive for getting us together."  
  
"You don't mean they're in love?"  
  
"Well, we are," Ken shrugged, motioning for Daisuke to lie down again. Daisuke leaned back into Ken's arms with a smile, and closed his eyes with a contented sigh.  
  
"You know your friends will eventually figure out that you're here with me, and come to," he cleared his throat, " 'Rescue' you."  
  
"I know," Daisuke muttered, "So what do we do when they come?"  
  
Ken smiled as he held his redheaded love in his arms possessively, "When the time comes, we'll decide."  
  
----------  
  
The D-Terminal fell from Miyako's nerveless fingers. Hawkmon spun around at the sound of the gray machine hitting the ground and ran back, "Are you alright?"  
  
Miyako didn't respond right away, and when she did, it wasn't verbal. She pointed accusingly at the screen of the open 'Terminal.  
  
Hawkmon stooped to pick it up, and read the short message:  
  
Daisuke has been captured by the Emperor. Found signs of a struggle. No sign of Daisuke or Veemon. Please come quickly.  
  
-Hikari  
  
It was followed by a set of coordinates that could be followed to the clearing on the map in the 'Terminal's memory. "Oh, my…" was all he could think to say before Miyako fell to her knees and wrapped her arms around him with a sob, grabbing onto his feathered torso like a drowning woman would grab anything to keep afloat.  
  
----------  
  
Wormmon woke to a soft kiss on his forehead.  
  
He looked up into the liquid warmth of Veemon's red-brown eyes, and the gentle smile on the blue dragon's lips. "Good morning Worm-chan," he whispered.  
  
Wormmon snuggled farther into the strong blue arms around him, "Good morning Vee-kun," he responded, "How long have you been awake?"  
  
"Long enough to know you're cute when you're sleeping," Veemon whispered, "Long enough to realize how much I've missed you all those night when we weren't together."  
  
Wormmon sighed, "Aishiteru Vee-kun."  
  
Veemon blushed and drew back a little, Did Worm-chan just say he loved me? he thought. He hugged Wormmon tighter and closed his eyes, "Aishiteru Worm- chan, Aishiteru."  
  
They stayed like that for some time, just enjoying the company of the other. Feeling the warmth of the body pressed close to their own, the arms wrapped around them.  
  
After a while, Veemon sighed and sat up, pushing the covers off as he swung his legs over the side of the small bed. "Where are you going?" Wormmon asked, rolling from his side onto his stomach and coming to the edge of the bed.  
  
"I don' know about you," Veemon started, "But I have to go to the little Digimon's room in the morning!"  
  
Wormmon jumped off the bed after Veemon, "I'll come with you!"  
  
Veemon felt a large patch of redness spread across his face, "Huh?!?"  
  
"I have to show you the way," Wormmon explained quickly.  
  
"Oh," Veemon sighed as he remembered that he didn't know where anything was located in the base.  
  
"What were you thinking?" Wormmon asked, looking out the corner of one eye.  
  
"Oh, nothing," Veemon smiled, "What's for breakfast?"  
  
----------  
  
They had all assembled in the clearing, and had congregated around Gatomon as she told them all that she had found out. Iori sighed and looked at the Digimon standing next to him, a concerned look on his face as he regarded Armadillomon. As soon as he had heard that Daisuke had been captured, the Digimon had gotten up and started walking out. Well, limping out. He kept his injured hind limb off the ground as much as possible.  
  
Iori had tried to stop him of course, but the Digimon had refused to listen to him, in fact seemed like he wasn't interested in listening to reason. No matter what Iori had tried, no matter what he had said, Armadillomon just kept on walking.  
  
He had walked all the way, even though Iori could see that every step he took caused him pain, seeing it in the way his lower eyelid flickered when his leg was jostled, the way his jaw was clenched the entire trip, the way he grunted and panted, stopping to rest frequently, the way every muscle in his body seemed tight and tense. And yet he had come all the same.  
  
Iori was concerned too, even worried about Daisuke and Veemon, but Armadillomon seemed to be taking it personally, as if something that affected them affected all of them. He supposed it did. He had to admit that he was worried about them too…but to go through all that…he just didn't know if he could do that.  
  
Armadillomon seemed to realize he was being watched and turned a quick smile to his partner. Underneath the way his face was drawn and pale, the smile almost seemed to say, 'It's all right, I'm fine now. It was just something I had to do.'  
  
Iori forced a smile. He guessed that he had just done what he felt he had to.  
  
He returned his attention to the discussion at hand, picking up on what Takeru was saying. "We can't just leave him there!"  
  
"We all agree you," Hikari stated, "But just how are we going to get him out?"  
  
"We go in just like we did the other day, we'll go in, find him and Veemon, and get them out before the Emperor even knows we're there!" He punched his fist into his open palm, "Then we teach him not to do this sort of thing ever again!"  
  
"When do we move?" Gatomon asked.  
  
They all turned to Takeru, acknowledging him as the leader now that Daisuke wasn't there to lead. Takeru thought for a moment, then nodded, coming to a decision, "Tomorrow morning, at dawn!"  
  
Iori turned and looked at Armadillomon, "Do you think you'll be ready?"  
  
Armadillomon smiled, "When it comes to friendship, I'm always ready!"  
  
Iori looked back at the others, concern evident on his face. When the time came, they would all be ready. He hoped so, for all their sakes, he hoped so.  
  
----------  
  
They had remained in bed together all day, getting up only to go get something to eat, bringing back food and drink on trays that sat on the bed stand. They lay in each other's arms, enjoying the other's warmth and company, knowing that this was what they really wanted. Daisuke started asking himself what it was he had been expecting from Hikari, why he had chased her for so long. He guessed that it had seemed like the thing to do at the time.  
  
He sighed as Ken started running his fingers through his hair again, trailing his soft lips over his tanned body. Ken kissed his lips first, then his chin, then the top of his neck, working his way down the neck to his collar bone, stopping in the middle to nibble the neck and the delicate collar bone bared before him. He then started kissing down Daisuke's chest, pausing at the nipples, sucking and nipping the soft flesh.  
  
Daisuke moaned with a smile. He knew where this was headed…at least, where it had headed last night. He whimpered as Ken's kisses trailed lower, onto his belly, pushing the covers lower and lower.  
  
"Ken-chan?" Daisuke panted.  
  
Ken came up and looked at him, his eyes sparkling with lust, "Yes Dai- chan?"  
  
Daisuke swallowed, not wanting to spoil the mood they were in, but he had to know what all the fuss was really about, "What is the gateway?" he asked.  
  
Ken drew back some, sitting up, "Is that why you're here?" he asked, a hurt note in his voice.  
  
Daisuke responded by coming up behind him and whispering huskily in his ear, "This is why I'm here…" he licked Ken's ear, then began nibbling on the pale flesh of the finely sculpted lobe, "I'm here for you. I just want to know what this is all about."  
  
Ken smiled, "Fine then. I'll tell you," he turned so he was looking Daisuke in the face, "You see, what we call the Real World and the Digital World are actually two separate dimensions, do you understand?"  
  
Daisuke nodded, his eyes shining, Ken-chan was talking to him! Not like he had always thought he might, condescending and rude, but as if they were on the same level. He was being treated like an equal!  
  
Ken nodded, "Well, those two worlds are not the only two dimensions out there. In fact, there are an infinite number of dimensions out there, called the Megaverse. Now, if it's possible to move between two worlds in the Megaverse, it stands to reason that it's also possible to move between more than just the two we know, right?"  
  
Daisuke nodded again. When Ken was explaining it, it seemed to make perfect sense! And speaking of perfect things, they were both completely uncovered, and Daisuke took a moment to contemplate Ken's body.  
  
Ken smiled, "Well, that's what the gateway is for. Digiports only work between these two worlds, so the only way to get to the other worlds in the Megaverse is to build a gateway that can open to new dimensions!"  
  
Daisuke smiled dreamily. Ken-chan was so cute when he was explaining something that he had been working on.  
  
Ken spread his hands, forming shapes in the air, "With all the power I have now, I can open a gateway to another dimension with more than enough raw energy ready for the taking to take control of the entire Digital World!" Daisuke's face fell. That's right, he thought, That's what we came here for, isn't it? He looked away.  
  
Ken smiled, noticing his Dai-chan looking away, "Is there something else you wanted me to explain?" he asked softly, wanting Daisuke to look back up, to look at him again with those bright pools of warm chocolate.  
  
Daisuke looked up again, and frowned, "Ken-chan?"  
  
Ken smiled, "Yes Dai-chan?"  
  
"I…" Daisuke paused, this meant so much to him, but at the same time, he pressed on, "I want you to stop working on the gateway," there. He said it.  
  
Ken looked at him for a moment, then it was his turn to look away, "Why?"  
  
Daisuke thought for a second, "It makes me…uncomfortable," he said, then snuggled closer to Ken, "Besides, we could spend more time together if you weren't working on it."  
  
Ken smiled. He did have a point there. He decided that he would only work on it after Daisuke was asleep. That way he couldn't complain that it took away from the time they were together.  
  
He cupped Daisuke's cheek with one hand, "All right, you win. So what do you want to do about the rest of the Digidestined?"  
  
Daisuke smiled and started running his hands up and down Ken's back as he hugged him, then running his hands all over Ken's naked body, caressing the soft, pale skin until his love moaned and purred in the back of his throat. Then Daisuke placed a hand on Ken's chest and gently pushed him onto his back, then ran that hand down his chest, over the taunt muscled stomach, finally coming to rest between his legs.  
  
"Don't try to change the subject Dai-chan!" Ken grinned.  
  
"You didn't seem so disinterested last night koi…"  
  
Ken gasped and moaned contentedly in the back of his throat, "You're insatiable!"  
  
"Tell me what that means later…" Daisuke whispered, licking Ken's neck and chest.  
  
----------  
  
Ken stood in the well-lit room before the Gateway. It was finally complete. He chuckled in the back of his throat as he contemplated the final power sources he held in his hand.  
  
He had sent all the Digimon he had summoned back to their rightful places, with the notable exception of roughly three dozen he would take through the Gateway with him. He smiled as he dropped the power sources onto a table near the Gateway, chuckling to himself.  
  
First thing in the morning. He would open it first thing in the morning. Then he would have all the power he could ever want, and then some.  
  
----------  
  
Daisuke woke up slowly for the second time that day. He looked around, not seeing Ken anywhere in the room. He guessed that he must have fallen asleep after…talking Ken out of the gateway project.  
  
He got out of the bed and stretched lazily, groaning as his muscles warmed up. He pulled on his clothes, and was about to go out and look for Ken when he heard a knock at the door. He opened it and found Veemon on the other side. "Hi Daisuke!" the dragon smiled.  
  
"Hey Veemon," Daisuke grinned, motioning him in, "I wondered where you were last night."  
  
Veemon colored, "I was with Worm-chan," he said, "And you?"  
  
Daisuke grinned and got a faraway look in his eyes, "I was with Ken all night," he turned slightly to look at his partner, "We made love last night, just him and me…do you have any idea what that's like?"  
  
Veemon shook his head.  
  
"It's wonderful," Daisuke whispered, "Just knowing that you love someone, and they love you back…knowing you can do anything with them…I wouldn't give it up for the world!"  
  
"Wow…" Veemon whispered.  
  
"Speaking of which," Daisuke started, "Have you seen Ken-chan? I fell asleep and he was gone when I woke up."  
  
Veemon shook his head again, "Nope, haven't seen him since yesterday."  
  
"I'm going to go look for him," Daisuke stated, then waved, "See you later!"  
  
----------  
  
That night, Veemon and Wormmon are in Wormmon's bed, holding each other. Veemon looked down at the sleeping caterpillar and thought about Daisuke, positive that he and Ken were making love again as he lay there with his Worm-chan.  
  
"I wonder what it feels like…" he wonders aloud.  
  
Wormmon stirred in his arms and opened his eyes sleepily, "Did you say something Vee-kun?"  
  
Veemon blushed furiously and smiled, "Just talking to myself," he rubbed the back of Wormmon's head with one hand, "Go back to sleep Worm-chan."  
  
Wormmon closed his eyes and snuggled closer to the warm dragon, "Good night Vee-kun."  
  
"Good night Worm-chan," he whispered.  
  
He watched Wormmon sleep until the caterpillar's breathing became deep and regular, a dreamy smile on his face. When he was sure Wormmon was in a deep sleep, he lay back and snuggled closer to his love, holding him close.  
  
As he drifted off, Veemon felt his face color as he thought to himself: I wonder what it feels like…  
  
----------  
  
The Digidestined were back in the snag, getting ready for their offensive to retrieve Daisuke and Veemon. Halsemon volunteered to carry Armadillomon until they were ready to actually attack. They left the snag, moving to the edge of the forest, hoping to get there before the first light of day.  
  
----------  
  
Ken had left Daisuke asleep, feeling that he needed his sleep after the past couple of days. He stood in the Gateway chamber, holding the last power sources in his hand, inserting them into the slots made for them one by one.  
  
Courage.  
  
Friendship.  
  
Love.  
  
Reliability.  
  
Sincerity.  
  
Knowledge.  
  
Hope.  
  
Light.  
  
When the last Crest was in place, they all glowed with barely controlled power, then dimmed. He moved to the protected room adjacent, separated from the Gateway by a thick glass wall, and moved to his control panel.  
  
He brought the console to life with a wave of his hand, and brought the Gateway up with the press of a single button, flooding it with the power he had been collecting.  
  
The Crests glowed with an unnatural light, and the entire base felt like it was shaking around him. Without warning, bright blue bolts of pure energy lashed out from the Gateway, arcing against, the walls, the floor, and the Gateway itself, searing the air and crackling as they danced across any surface they came into contact with.  
  
He threw back his head and laughed. The time had come.  
  
----------  
  
The Digidestined looked up as unnatural thunder rolled across the sky, already turning a bright, burning blue through the branches overhead. At least, it had been blue. Now swirling masses of pitch black and sickly green clouds moved swiftly across the sky in the direction of the Emperor's base.  
  
The ground began to shake beneath them, throwing them to the ground.  
  
"What is this?" Takeru yelled over the din, "Some kind of new weapon?"  
  
"No!" Gatomon yelled, staring into the distance, "He's opening the Gateway!"  
  
----------  
  
Koushiro yawned as he stared at the map his computer generated of the area surrounding the Emperor's base. He almost fell out of his chair when the deep red in the middle seemed to be bleached out, becoming white again. He shook his head, wondering if they had done it, then noticed that the area was spreading, and a bright white light was shining around the black grid lines. Then the lines themselves seemed to disappear from the center of the grid outward in an expanding circle. Soon the entire screen was nothing but bright, blinding white light, bleaching all the color out of the room, pure black shadows cast by anything that stood in it's way.  
  
Then the monitor just turned off, plunging the room into darkness.  
  
Koushiro blinked rapidly, trying desperately to clear his eyes, which seemed to have become just one giant light spot, as if he had stared at a giant light bulb for too long and it had left an afterimage that covered his entire eye.  
  
When his vision cleared enough, he brought his monitor back up and tried to access his monitoring program again, with no success.  
  
That was when he realized that the Digidestined had been too late, and the Gateway was open.  
  
-TBC- 


	4. Part IV

1.1.1 It's me again everyone!  
  
This is the fourth installment of my fic for Nemesi-chan's (ended) contest! I know it's a little late, but I have a good excuse! You see, I had to get a job for the summer so I would have money for college next year. Call it a necessary evil. Add to that I am in a play with the local community theater, Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream". Now, between the two, I was getting up before 5:30 and getting home after midnight. But, the play ends it's run on Sunday, so I should be able to finish this fic soon!  
  
And now that I've been thinking about it, I think I finally know where this is going!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the drill. I do not own Digimon...Digimon belong to a lot of rich people that I envy. I am making no money off this fic, and frankly I have no money so it would be pretty pointless to sue me.  
  
This is an original fic by me, if you would like to use it or post it somewhere else, please let me know first.... That's about all I can think of now...  
  
Be warned: All flames will be used to make smores!  
  
  
  
--Of Young Love and Digimon, Pt IV--  
  
1.1.2 They awoke as they were thrown from their bed, screaming as they flew through the air and landing unceremoniously in a heap of blue and green limbs.  
  
The first thing that came into Veemon's head when he felt the entire base shaking around him was an intense thrill of fear. Then he felt something that forced the fear out of his mind, something that came so strongly that it was impossible to ignore. It was instinct-he had to find Daisuke and protect him from whatever was shaking the base. He pushed himself off the floor calling Daisuke's name, only to feel someone grab his wrist before he could pull away. He looked back over his shoulder into the watery eyes of Wormmon.  
  
"Worm-chan! I have to find Daisuke!" he said, pulling on his wrist.  
  
"Don't go Vee-kun!"  
  
Veemon stopped trying to pull away and hugged Wormmon tightly, surprising the insect, "Don't worry Worm-chan," he said over the steady rumble the shaking was causing, "I have to go to Daisuke, I have to protect him. And you have to go protect Ken."  
  
Wormmon nodded. Veemon was right, he was Ken's Digimon-he had to protect him. But as he watched Veemon's blue back retreating down the hall, he thought that if the shaking was being caused by what he thought, Ken would never need his protection again.  
  
----------  
  
Daisuke woke up as he hit the floor, rolling into the middle of the room, legs tangled in the sheets. He sat up, clutching the soft fabric to his body as the whole place seemed to shake itself apart around him. Thin lines of dust, dislodged from the ceiling, drifted down in streams and clouds, settling on the floor. Objects sitting on shelves and hanging on walls were tossed to the floor where they clattered, clanked, and rolled around at random.  
  
He looked around quickly, looking for anyone or anything nearby. There was nothing. Ken wasn't in bed or on the floor with him, and Veemon was nowhere to be seen-probably with Wormmon. He started to get up, to go and look for Ken, when the door was thrown open. His head jerked to the door, fearing an army of evil Digimon, but all he saw was Veemon, running full tilt toward him.  
  
"Daisuke!"  
  
"Veemon!"  
  
Veemon ran right into him, wrapping his arms around him. Daisuke tried to stand, but Veemon pushed him down. Daisuke tried again, with the same result, "I have to find Ken-chan!" he yelled, "Let go!"  
  
Veemon shook his head, thinking that he had said pretty much the same thing only a minute ago, "No. It's too dangerous out there. You'll get hurt!"  
  
"But Ken needs me!" Daisuke protested.  
  
Veemon pushed down to keep him from making another attempt to stand, "Ken can take care of himself. This is his base and he can handle anything that comes up here!"  
  
Daisuke could tell from the look in his eyes that trying to move him on that point was useless. And what he said made sense, it was Ken's base, and so far he had been able to take care of himself. But just because it made sense didn't mean it felt right. He tried again, "And what if he can't handle it?"  
  
"Worm-chan is with him," Veemon stated simply, "I came to protect you, and Worm-chan went to protect Ken."  
  
Daisuke stared at him. They had split up thinking only of the safety of their human companions, and all he wanted to do was throw him off and go find Ken. It made him feel small, ungrateful, and childish. He was about to apologize for being so hard-headed when he saw the gash on Veemon's shoulder, the torn skin surrounded by a deep blue bruise, rich red blood running slowly down the Digimon's back. He gasped and touched the edge of the wound gently, "What happened?"  
  
Veemon winced at Daisuke's probing touch, "A rock fell from the ceiling," he said, then held Daisuke down firmly, "It's too dangerous out there, you'll get hurt," he repeated.  
  
Daisuke looked into the determined red-brown eyes of his partner and dragged them into the doorway. They sat in the doorway together, holding onto each other and waited for the world to stop shaking.  
  
----------  
  
Wormmon ran through the halls toward the Gateway chamber, crying out as bits and pieces of the ceiling, some pebbles, some almost the size of his head fell around him. He ignored the smaller ones that hit him, running as fast as he could. He made it to the door in almost record time, and slid to a stop in front of the door. He was about to open the door when the shaking faded and stopped. He paused, looking around and listening. He swallowed, and pushed open the door.  
  
What he saw took his breath away.  
  
The Gateway was open, that much was obvious. The center of the ring, which had been empty the last time he had seen it, was now filled with water. At least, it looked like water. It looked like a vertical sheet of water, with light shining up through it, the multitude of ripples and waves flowing across it's surface refracting and reflecting the light into ever changing patterns of light and shadow on the walls, floor, ceiling, and the faces of the Digimon in the room.  
  
And standing right in front of the Gateway, his hand lightly touching the surface of the water, was Ken. Delicate ripples spread out across the surface of the Gateway from the spot where his hand came into contact, sending the light in new directions.  
  
Wormmon swallowed, "Master?"  
  
The Emperor turned to him and smiled, "Go back to Veemon. I don't need you here."  
  
Wormmon stared at the Gateway behind his partner and slowly backed out of the room. When he was out the door, he turned and ran for the room he was sure Daisuke and Veemon were in.  
  
----------  
  
The ground stopped shaking slowly, steadily decreasing until it couldn't be felt anymore. A few seconds after it stopped, the Digidestined stood. They made a quick check for any serious injuries, only finding scrapes and small bruises from when they had been thrown off their feet when the ground had lurched the first time.  
  
Takeru counted heads, coming up two short-Daisuke and Veemon. He then led them to the edge of the forest and looked out over the desert plain between them and the base.  
  
He heard gasps from the Digidestined and Digimon around him, thinking that that was as good a response as any to what he saw.  
  
A swirling vortex of black and green clouds hung over the base, roiling violently as it cast a heavy shadow on the base and surrounding terrain. The air around them on the edge of the forest was calm, not even a light breath of a breeze disturbing the leaves on the trees, but not a hundred meters in front of them, howling typhoon winds scoured the plain, picking up dust, sand, and rocks and throwing them around. They could just barely see the outline of the base through the veil of sand in the air around it. The air all but hummed with the raw power around them, making the hair on the base of their necks stand on end.  
  
He heard Patamon come up beside him, "What do we do now?"  
  
Takeru looked down at Patamon, then back at the plain, "We still have to rescue Daisuke," he said hoping he sounded more sure than he felt, "Who knows what could be happening to him in there now that the Emperor has this much power?"  
  
"All right," Halsemon said, pushing forward, "Let's go."  
  
They walked up to the edge of the maelstrom, pausing just short. Then almost as one, they closed their eyes and pushed through the wall of rushing air and into the fury of the storm.  
  
----------  
  
Daisuke and Veemon slowly opened their eyes and released each other as the room stopped shaking. Daisuke stood slowly, stepping cautiously into the center of the room. He started picking up his clothes and looked over his shoulder. Veemon turned around and clasped his hands behind his back, rocking back and forth from his heels to his toes as Daisuke got dressed. Daisuke smiled, thinking that Veemon was being a little too concerned-I mean, he thought, It's not like I've had anything on for the past ten minutes or anything! He pulled on his clothes quickly, eager to go out and find Ken now that Veemon might think it was safe enough to leave the room and wander the halls. He finished buckling his belt, then threw on his jacket and shoes, then turned to Veemon.  
  
He walked up behind his Digimon and crouched to get a better look at his shoulder. He patted the dragon on the head and walked into the next room, coming back with a small white box. He opened the box and looked at the contents, shuffling through the bandages, disinfectants, alcohol swabs, and other first aid items.  
  
Veemon watched him for a few seconds, "Whatcha doing?"  
  
Daisuke smiled sheepishly, "I don't really know what I'm supposed to do with this stuff," he said, "So I was trying to look like I knew what I was doing until someone that really knew what they were doing came along."  
  
Veemon sighed and rested his head in one hand, "Let's just go find Ken and Worm-chan. They should know what to do."  
  
Daisuke nodded and set the box aside. They were about to go out and search the base for them when Wormmon came through the door, panting like he had run a fifty kilometer marathon. A wide smile split Veemon's face as the insect came into the room, throwing his arms around his green body, "Worm- chan!"  
  
Wormmon sighed happily and hugged his dragon back, "I missed you too Vee- kun," he said with a squeeze. He released Veemon abruptly when he winced, and walked around him quickly. He stopped when he saw the gash on his shoulder, gasping at the sight, following the trail of blood running down the break in his perfect blue skin.  
  
"Vee-kun! You're hurt!"  
  
Veemon smiled and rubbed the back of his head, "It happened when I was coming here," he explained, "A piece of the ceiling fell and hit me."  
  
Wormmon skittered over to the white box and rifled through the contents, pulling out several items and setting them aside. He motioned Veemon over and sat him down so he was looking at his back. He then went through the items he had pulled out systematically, cleaning the wound with a cotton ball and a stinging liquid from a brown bottle, squeezing some disinfectant into the cut, and placing a large square bandage over the wound. He moved his mandibles around for a second, then placed his mouth over the square bandage, spitting out a small glob of sticky white gel that sealed the bandage over the cut tighter and more firmly than any bandage could have. Veemon fingered the sticky substance, feeling it grow tacky and then turn to soft silk in seconds. He looked at Wormmon and blushed as a smile crept onto his lips, "Thank you Worm-chan," he whispered, "It feels better already!"  
  
Wormmon's eyes sparkled as a deep blush colored his face, "It was nothing," he started, "It was the least I could do for you." Daisuke looked back and forth at them as they smiled and looked at each other, and it reminded him, "Wormmon," he started, stepping forward, "Veemon said you went to protect Ken-chan, right?" Wormmon nodded.  
  
"So where's Ken-chan?" Daisuke asked.  
  
----------  
  
The Emperor smiled as he stepped away from the open Gateway. Though he and the Digimon in the room with him had been protected from the massive bolts of energy that had leapt from the opening Gateway to the walls, floor, and ceiling in the next room, the room itself hadn't been so fortunate.  
  
Black lined and spots marked the places where the unnatural lightning had struck the surfaces, some of the last hits still trailing thin trails of white smoke into the still air. The entire room stank of ozone, the smell of unleashed electricity. The air around him almost hummed with the latent energy that still throbbed and pulsed in the room around him, making the hair on the nape of his neck stand on end. His smile widened, it was a feeling he liked.  
  
He knew where the Gateway led, because he had checked the console in the other room before he had entered the Gateway chamber. He knew it did open to a higher dimension, one with stores of power that made the power he had used to open the Gateway pale in comparison. But it was not just a higher dimension, it was a higher dimension that was a direct extension of the Digital World. Another, more powerful Digital World.  
  
He waved his arm and the Digimon he had chosen to go with him through the portal into the new dimension formed up as they had been instructed before he had pushed the button that opened the Gateway, lining up to go through the Gateway. He got on the back of an Airdramon as the first Darktyrannomon walked through the opening, bending almost double to fit through the portal. After the Darktyrannomon went through, the Airdramon went through one at a time, then the Monochromon, the Drimogemon, and the Bakemon. They went through first to make sure the area was safe, then a Bakemon came back through the Gateway and hovered before him, bowing as best a ghost could, and reported to his master that all was well on the other side.  
  
The Emperor kicked the back of the Airdramon under him and ordered it forward. It flew through the opening with no problem, folding its wide wings at the last second so it would fit through the opening. The Emperor closed his eyes at they went through the watery surface of the Gateway, opening them after he was sure he had passed the point of no return. There was a feeling of dissociation, and looking down he saw his body was breaking into tiny lines and shards, and a second later all the shards and lines were shooting forward at unfathomable speeds, flying down what looked like a pathway surrounded by a kaleidoscope of shifting, swirling colors against solid black.  
  
There was a bright flash of light, and a feeling the exact opposite of the dissociation he had experienced earlier, and then he was on the other side.  
  
----------  
  
"Where's Ken-chan?" Daisuke repeated, deep brown eyes imploring.  
  
"He's in the Gateway chamber," Wormmon stated, moving closer to Veemon.  
  
Daisuke stared at him in disbelief, "What?"  
  
"He's in the Gateway chamber," Wormmon reiterated, snuggling against Veemon's good shoulder.  
  
Daisuke felt like he had stepped out of his body and was only watching his body, like some bad movie or a freight train crash- something you don't want to see but can't look away from. It sounded like someone else was talking when he said, "What was the shaking? What was it? Did Ken…"  
  
Wormmon nodded, "He opened the Gateway. I think he went through, but he should be back in a few hours."  
  
Daisuke felt his knees go to rubber and fell to a kneeling position on the floor. Tears filled his eyes and the floor in front of him wavered like water as he whispered, "He lied to me."  
  
Veemon opened his eyes and looked at his partner, pulling himself out of the well of happiness he had fallen into when his Worm-chan had come back to him, "What?"  
  
"Ken lied to me," Daisuke muttered, "He said he wouldn't open the Gateway."  
  
The Digimons' eyes widened, "What!" Wormmon cried.  
  
"He lied to me!" Daisuke yelled as tears started running down his face, "He said he wouldn't and he did!" He stood abruptly and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and started walking for the door, "Come on Veemon."  
  
Veemon took a couple of tentative steps after his partner, "Where we going?"  
  
Daisuke spoke without turning around, "We're leaving. If I can't trust him with a simple promise, how can I trust him with my heart? Besides, my heart doesn't seem to matter much to him anyway."  
  
Wormmon was about to protest when Veemon wrapped his arms around him and hugged him tightly. Wormmon felt something wet land on his back as Veemon whispered, "Aishiteru Worm-chan," when Veemon pulled away, Wormmon saw he was crying. The dragon took one of Wormmon's claws in his hand and squeezed it, slowly letting it go as he stepped away after Daisuke.  
  
Wormmon felt tears come to his eyes as he watched them walk out the door and turn toward the door that would lead outside, "Vee-kun…"  
  
----------  
  
The Emperor shook his head once to clear it, dislodging the cobwebs and getting rid of most of his disorientation-probably a side effect of traveling through the Gateway. He noticed some of the Digimon that had come through later looked a little disoriented as well, and decided that it must be a universal phenomenon, not just limited to humans.  
  
He took a few shaky steps after the world stopped teetering beneath him, "What a ride."  
  
He took a moment to look around. Directly behind him was the Gateway for this dimension, leading from his Digital World to this one. But it looked very little like his own. There were some similarities, such as both Gateways were giant rings of shiny black and silver metal and both had a wall of sparkling, light-refracting water shimmering quietly now that they were activated, but there were differences as well. Pretty large differences. This Gateway had eight large jet black spikes arranged around it at regular intervals, four of which stuck straight out, the light from this world's sun making the edges glint with borrowed light, looking razor sharp, the other four curved in toward the center of the Gateway, looking like cruel talons. The inside of the Gateway was different too, with several parts jutting into the center a little, making the opening in the center look like a watery cog or gear. He stepped closer, taking a closer look at the softly glowing power sources-eight, just like his. He ran a gloved finger around the outline of one of the power sources, noticing with a little surprise that it was a Crest-another similarity-but the symbol on these Crests were absolutely nothing like the Crests from his Digital World.  
  
He turned away from the Gateway and looked at the surrounding terrain. It was a wasteland. A barren area of rock flats and small sand dunes bleached a dirty tan color. The sky was a burning blue, with only a few small clouds floating across the sky in the distance. But directly above the Gateway was a rapidly dissipating swirling mass of black clouds, breaking up even as he watched, showing blue sky and rays of sunlight. On the ground around him were the telltale lines made by the arcing bolts of blue energy that the Gateway released when opened, and the stale stench of ozone lingered in the air around them.  
  
The ground around the Gateway was broken in places by small and large circular depressions. None were anywhere near the Gateway, so he walked over to look at one that was closer than others-a little more than a hundred meters or so, and knelt down next to it. It was a good five meters across and a little over one deep, with the edge rising about an inch over the surrounding ground, with several lines radiating out from the edge. For some reason it looked familiar, and he couldn't place it for a second, then he remembered that he had seem craters like this in pictures he had seen of the moon. He was right next to a crater of some kind! It looked old, almost as if whatever had caused it had happened long ago. He turned to a Bakemon that hovered nearby, "What does this look like to you?"  
  
The Bakemon considered for a moment, then spoke, "It looks like a crater, Master."  
  
He grunted and turned back to the crater, "I can see that! What I mean is; does it look like a blast crater? Was there a battle here between the Digimon of this world?"  
  
The Bakemon nodded as best it could, "Yes, Master, it does look like that."  
  
"So where are the Digimon of this world," the Emperor wondered aloud, they should have come running when the Gateway went off! He turned to the Airdramon that had come through, "You! Go up and scout around! Report if you see any Digimon other than those that came through with us!"  
  
They bowed their heads, "Yes, Master," then spread their wings and took off.  
  
He looked around at the craters. There were hundreds, perhaps thousands of them, scattered across the wasteland, peppering the ground as far as he could see. As far as he could see, nothing that had not come through the Gateway with him lived on the plain before him. But he could feel something else, a power nearby. Massive, staggering, immense. And he had to find it.  
  
----------  
  
Daisuke and Veemon walked silently through the base until they found the door they had come in through. Without a word, Daisuke took hold of the handle and pulled the door open. A harsh blast of wind blew through the door, carrying sand and a high-pitched howling. Daisuke squinted and shielded his eyes, looking out into the sand storm. Veemon covered his face with his forearms and stepped back from the door.  
  
Daisuke set his teeth. He couldn't trust the Emperor-not Ken, the Emperor- so he couldn't stay. And if that meant he and Veemon had to walk through this storm to get away from the base, he was ready to do it.  
  
"Come here Veemon," he said over the howling wind, his voice thick and wavering with emotion, "We have to go."  
  
Veemon nodded and walked forward against the wind, leaning into the gusts. Daisuke saw Veemon fighting to make progress against the gale, and knelt down in front of the dragon. When the Digimon was close enough, Daisuke picked him up and lifted him off the ground. He turned back to the open door and pulled his goggles down over his face so they shielded his eyes, and stepped out into the storm. Veemon clutched to Daisuke's jacket tightly, feeling the wind tug at his body and throw sand and dust against his skin. He lifted his head from where it was buried in his partner's shoulder and looked back at the light pouring through the closing door and fought back tears, "Worm-chan…"  
  
Daisuke heard his plaintive cry, and trying to ignore the emotions that battled inside him as he thought of Wormmon's partner, leaned into the wind and moved steadily away from the base.  
  
----------  
  
He divided the Digimon around him into search parties, commanding them to look for anything that made the air feel charged, going out with one of the parties himself.  
  
After an hour or so, the Airdramon returned, telling him that there was nothing alive within a hundred kilometer radius. Nothing moved, nothing even looked like a Digimon. But they did report some desiccated, struggling vegetation on the very edge of the horizon when they had been farthest out.  
  
He ignores that report-this world must have been dead for centuries!  
  
A massive battle seemed to have broken out among the Digimon of this world about the Gateway, and they had killed each other over it to the last. Nothing lived on this world that he had not brought with him! At least he didn't have to worry about some kind of super Digimon from this world attacking him and ruining his plans.  
  
About two hours later, and almost ten kilometers from the Gateway, as the Monochromon walks, that he stopped his search party and jumped down off the back of the Monochromon he had been riding. He walked around for a few minutes, moving in circles as the Digimon watched, feeling the air around him, how it sang with a new power, making the air in places dance like a heat distortion, and made the small hairs on the back or his neck stand at attention.  
  
This was it, he could feel it! All that he had worked for, all that he had hoped for, everything he had ever wanted-power, glory, a world bowing to him, everything was in his grasp!  
  
This was where it started. He stopped suddenly, and stepped back. Then to one side, then the other, feeling the subtle changes in the air as he moved. He turned to the Drimogemon he had brought and pointed to the ground in front of him, "Right here. Dig right here until you find something. Go slowly, go carefully, if you damage it in any way, I'll make a rug out of that beautiful purple and white pelt, do you understand?"  
  
The Drimogemon bowed at it came forward, "Yes, Master."  
  
The Drimogemon dug a small hole in the ground with its forepaws, then set about making it larger and deeper. He didn't dare use the spinning drill on his forehead, for fear of upsetting the Emperor.  
  
After almost half an hour of digging, the hole was deep enough and wide enough for the Drimogemon to climb in. He felt one of his heavy digging claws strike something harder than the dirt around it and started to unearth it carefully, scraping away the layers of slightly moist sand with a single claw so as not to damage whatever he had found. When it came free, the tunnel around it was filled with light. As the light faded, the Drimogemon picked the object up in his mouth and slowly backed out of the tunnel. He turned to where the Emperor was standing with his arms crossed over his chest. The Emperor saw he was holding something gently with his front teeth, and held out one hand. The Drimogemon came forward and placed the object reverently into the waiting hand, then backed away.  
  
The Emperor turned the object over and over in his hands so he could look at it, wiping off the moist dirt that still clung to it, holding it up to see it better.  
  
It appeared to be a Digiegg-the same basic shape, but the shell wasn't brightly colored with a cute pattern on it, in fact, it wasn't even bright. The shell was black and silver like the Gateway, with a gold band around the center with the same glyphs and markings that denoted digital code in his Digital World. It also looked like it could move, some pieces meant to turn, some to open and close, others that looked like they did something that he didn't understand just yet. But he would.  
  
He turned to an Airdramon, "Go tell the other groups to return to the Gateway and await my arrival," he turned back to the Digiegg and held it up so it eclipsed the sun, "We've found what we came for!"  
  
----------  
  
Hikari clung to Nefertimon's back, keeping down to avoid the worst of the wind. She didn't know how long they had been walking through this monochromatic world of flying dust and stinging sand, but she could feel that they hadn't come very far.  
  
They had only been able to go a few meters before the first of their Digimon was picked up off her feet, flinging Gatomon through the air to land in a heap a few meters away, clawing at the shifting sands to keep from sliding across the ground, propelled by the wind. Patamon had been next, the fierce winds catching his wing-like ears and filling them with air, lifting him right out of Takeru's arms.  
  
Halsemon had been able to keep his footing, thanks to his greater mass, and Armadillomon on his back had held on with everything he had, whimpering as his ears and tail flapped in the buffeting air.  
  
A few seconds later, the Digidestined-particularly Iori-had stumbled. The Digimon had Armor-Digivolved right there, and the humans had gratefully moved to them, groping for purchase as they could see little through squinted eyes and blinding sand. Now Hikari clung to Nefertimon, Takeru and Iori were on Pegasusmon's back, Iori sitting in front of Takeru so the larger boy could hold him down against the stronger gusts. Miyako was on Halsemon's back, lying on Armadillomon's back to shield him and hold him down as best she could. And even with the larger Digimon moving through the maelstrom with their heads down against the wind, they had made little progress, the wind coming first from one direction, then another, then another unpredictably, making it impossible to see where they were going, disorienting them.  
  
Hikari opened one eye just enough to squint through and peered into the storm before her. She sat up abruptly, opening her eyes wide as she saw what was ahead.  
  
A figure came through the storm toward them, buffeted on all sides by the wind, hunched over against the wind, stumbling on the shifting sand.  
  
She cried out and waved her arms in the air, "Daisuke! Over here! We're coming!"  
  
Pegasusmon swung his head from side to side, "Daisuke? Where?"  
  
Iori pointed so the Digimon under him could see, "There! And Veemon's with him!"  
  
Daisuke looked up and changed direction so he was coming toward them. When he came into the middle of their tight group, they all turned and went back the way they had come. What seemed like an eternity later, they came out of the swirling cloud of disturbed dust and into the calm. They all shook sand off their backs and shoulders, blinking sand out of their eyes and spitting sand out of their mouths.  
  
The Digimon returned to Hawkmon, Patamon, and Gatomon, as they were no longer needed to move through the storm, which now seemed to be lessening in intensity. Daisuke set Veemon down and pushed his goggles back up into his unruly red hair.  
  
The Digimon congregated around Veemon, who sat on the ground and looked dejected. When they pressed in on him and asked if he was all right, he forced a smile that seemed to put them at ease. The Digidestined pressed in on Daisuke, bombarding him with questions, wanting to know how he had escaped, what had happened, why was he able to get away, was the Gateway really open? Daisuke moved his head from side to side, trying to see who was asking what.  
  
Hawkmon saw the silk-covered wound on Veemon's shoulder, and gasped, "What happened?"  
  
Veemon looked at him, "A piece of the ceiling fell and hit me," he said quietly. Hawkmon touched the silky bandage, "Isn't this a part of Wormmon's Sticky Net?" he asked.  
  
Veemon set his hand on his shoulder and touched the bandage softly, fighting back a fresh batch of tears and nodded.  
  
Miyako saw the look in Daisuke's eyes, the look that made it look like he was in pain, but she could see nothing wrong with his body. She looked into Daisuke's eyes, "Are you all right? Did he hurt you?"  
  
Daisuke saw the genuine concern in her eyes and looked away. He started moving away toward the forest before he answered, "Yes."  
  
----------  
  
The Emperor went through the Gateway first, followed by his train of Digimon. He couldn't wait to get back to show Dai-chan and their Digimon his find. As he stepped into the Gateway, he felt the same disorienting dissociation, and the feeling of almost insane speed as he was hurtled between the worlds. When he came through on the other side, he stumbled, falling to his knees on the floor and shaking his head. He moved out of the way before the large Digimon came through behind him.  
  
He watched as the collection of Airdramon, Drimogemon, Monochromon, Bakemon, and Darktyrannomon came through one at a time. He would wait for all of them to come through, then he would go and tell his love everything.  
  
----------  
  
The last Digimon left in the alternate Digital World was a Darktyrannomon. He waited for the Drimogemon in front of him to enter the Gateway completely before advancing on the metal ring. Suddenly something moved in the corner of his eye. His head snapped in that direction, eyes scanning back and forth over the blasted terrain, looking for any movement. He sniffed the air and cocked his head to one side in an instinctive listening gesture, bringing in senses other than sight to find whatever it was or might be.  
  
But nothing moved.  
  
He snorted and turned back to the Gateway, grunting as it walked toward the watery surface.  
  
----------  
  
Koushiro jumped back away from his computer as the screen flashed and he saw a Digiport opening. He had not moved once before, and had ended up at the bottom of a pile of Digidestined, so he had learned to move quickly when someone was coming back. But instead of the entire group he was expecting, only Daisuke and Demiveemon appeared in front of his computer, Daisuke hugging the small Digimon to his chest.  
  
The former Keeper of Knowledge jumped out of his seat and moved quickly to Daisuke's side, grabbing his shoulders, "Daisuke! Are you all right?"  
  
Daisuke shook his head. How could they expect him to be all right? The one person he loved had betrayed him without a second thought! Koushiro looked him over, finding no blood, no wound anywhere on the other boy, but a bandage on Demiveemon's shoulder. He decided not to ask how he wasn't all right, and moved to a new subject, "Daisuke, you have to tell me, is the Gateway open?" Daisuke looked at the floor and nodded.  
  
"Where are the others?"  
  
"Behind me. Probably coming through any time now."  
  
Koushiro frowned. Something was wrong, he just knew it, but he had never been good with people, so he decided to let it rest, "I was afraid of that," he switched tracks, thinking that he should try to set the younger boy at ease, "You look tired," he patted Daisuke's shoulder, "Why don't you go home and rest?"  
  
Daisuke nodded and left without a word.  
  
Koushiro sighed as the door closed. He waited for a minute, and sure enough, the Digiport flared again, and the others came through all at once. Takeru looked around quickly, panting slightly, "Where's Daisuke? Did he come through here?"  
  
Koushiro nodded, "He left a minute ago. He looked like he had been through a bad time, so I sent him home to rest."  
  
Hikari frowned, "He ran ahead, not saying a thing, not waiting for anything. He went through the first Digiport he found, leaving us behind!"  
  
Koushiro's mouth fell open. That was nothing like Daisuke! He blinked a few times as he regained his composure, "What happened to him there?"  
  
Gatomon shook her head and held out her paws, "We don't know. He wouldn't tell us anything but the Emperor had hurt him."  
  
"Something's wrong, with him," Miyako stated, hugging Poromon closer, "I wish we knew what had happened."  
  
----------  
  
The Emperor strode triumphantly through the halls toward the bedchamber, smiling widely as he held the foreign Digiegg possessively in his hands. He knocked on the door before entering, waiting for a response. His smile widened when there was no answer, thinking that his love must still be asleep. He opened the door and entered softly, not wishing to wake Dai-chan before he was ready. He paused and the smile slipped from his face as he saw the interior of the room, the tangled sheet in the middle of the room, the open first aid kit, and the conspicuous absence of Daisuke's clothing.  
  
He noticed Wormmon sitting in the middle of the bed with his back to the door, his shoulders shaking slightly.  
  
He stepped closer to the bed, "Wormmon, where's Dai-chan?"  
  
Wormmon turned to look at him, and Ken saw the tears flowing down his green cheeks. He made the connection immediately, knowing that Daisuke was gone. The powerful Digiegg fell from his limp fingers, falling softly onto the bed where it stayed.  
  
-TBC- 


End file.
